1. Field
Exemplary embodiments relate to an X-ray imaging apparatus and a method for displaying an X-ray image on a screen of a user.
2. Description of the Related Art
An X-ray imaging system irradiates a target object, for example, the human body or various things, supported by an X-ray detector or the like, with X-rays in order to acquire an X-ray image, and displays the acquired X-ray image to a user by using a display device, such as a monitor, such that the user may check and diagnose inner parts of the target object.
Such an X-ray imaging apparatus uses characteristics whereby X-rays are absorbed by or pass through a material according to the characteristics thereof when emitted. An operation of the X-ray image apparatus will now be described. When a voltage is applied in order to accelerate electrons, the electrons are decelerated by Coulombic force around an atomic nucleus in order to emit X-rays according to the principle of conservation of energy. In this case, when a target object is irradiated by the emitted X-rays, the X-rays are absorbed by or propagate through the target object based on the characteristics of a material which constitutes the target object. The X-rays which have propagated through the target object are received and converted into electrical signals in order to acquire an X-ray image. Then, the X-ray image is displayed on a monitor or the like of a user such that the user may check an inner structure of the target object by using the X-rays.
An example of an X-ray imaging apparatus may include a full field digital mammography (FFDM) apparatus. The FFDM apparatus is a medical imaging system which uses X-rays for detection of lesions, such as cancerous tissues, inside the breasts of a woman. By virtue of development of the FFDM apparatus, a breast cancer test may be efficiently performed with respect to women, and a much greater number of cases may be checked than by conventional film type mammography.
In order to acquire an X-ray image by using such an FFDM apparatus, a target object, that is, a breast, is positioned on a detector which has a flat upper surface and is compressed by a compressor in order to increase a surface area toward which X-rays are emitted. In addition, the target object is irradiated by X-rays which are emitted from above the target object, and X-rays which have propagated through the target object are detected in order to generate a flat X-ray image of the compressed target object, that is, the compressed breast. However, in this case, there is a limit in detecting all tissues, in particular, all lesions inside the target object due to high density or overlap of inner tissues.